A top Australian doctor has lambasted National leader Christopher Luxon for promoting unhealthy eating.
Luxon got backlash on social media too, after posting a photo of himself on Monday night in front of a KFC combo.
"Dinner after another day campaigning to rebuild the economy and get our country back on track #chicken," the Opposition leader captioned the photo.
Professor Steve Robson, president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), has come out swinging against Luxon.
He told Daily Mail Australia it was "disappointing" to see a leader in Aotearoa "associated with food of little or no nutritional value".
"[Aotearoa] New Zealand has bountiful food offering some of the healthiest foods in the world," he added.
The AMA has campaigned to restrict the targeting of children with unhealthy food advertising.
Where did this all begin?
Robson's comments come after Luxon "pulled out" of The Press Leaders Debate on Monday.
That followed Sunday's news of Labour leader Chris Hipkins testing positive for COVID-19.
The debate was scheduled for Tuesday night, but since Hipkins is isolating he couldn't attend - however, a National spokesperson later told Newshub the party couldn't rearrange Luxon's schedule to hold the debate another time.
Several Labour MPs then posted images on social media of Luxon in a chicken suit.
But National campaign chair Chris Bishop hit back, saying Luxon refuses to debate a stand-in.
"The only person who has pulled out of a leaders' debate is the leader of the Labour Party and our Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins."
"He's [Luxon] not going to debate any old, random Joe Schmo in the Labour Party," Bishop said.
Social media's reaction
Some social media users rebuked the KFC photo.
"You [Luxon] are better than this. Doing blatant promotional work for a fast-food company is shameless," wrote one Twitter user.
"Pity you had to advertise junk food, but I suppose you want the general population to identify with you," another said.
"I'll remember not to look to Luxon on health policy," a third commented.
"So you would rather spend your money on a foreign multinational than support something homegrown?" a fourth said.
Meanwhile, others thought Luxon was showing his relatable side.
"Man of the people," one Twitter user wrote.
"Just an ordinary man like the rest of us. You fit right in Chris," a second person said.
"No potato and gravy is a big call," National MP Simon Watts commented on the Facebook post.
"Saying goes winner winner chicken dinner," another Facebook user wrote.
"It is so good to have some humour from politicians," said another.
Recent polls
In last week's Newshub-Reid Research poll, National was sitting on 39.1 percent, versus Labour's 26.5 percent.
On those numbers, National may be able to form a coalition Government with ACT, and possibly New Zealand First.
Meanwhile, in terms of preferred Prime Minister, Luxon recently overtook Hipkins, on 24.0 percent compared to 19.1 percent.
That poll's respondents were surveyed before news broke of Hipkins testing positive for COVID-19.
Under Hipkins, Labour has slumped in polls this year into the 20s.
That compares to the 50 percent vote Labour achieved under Jacinda Ardern's leadership in the 2020 general election.
Newshub contacted the Medical Council of New Zealand / Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa for their thoughts, however, they declined to comment.
Newshub also contacted the National Party for any additional comments but haven't received a response.
There are 10 days to go until Election Day, but early voting has now opened.
The public can cast an early vote at any of the 2600 voting stations around Aotearoa by checking out this map or searching by electorate here.
